Hughes May Return
- Thread starter gsk8
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When the Sasha/Robin coaching arrangement was announced in December, Robin said in an interview that she hadn't spoken directly with Sarah since April, and that she (Robin) had left a phone message telling Sarah that she'd signed on with Sasha.
If that isn't evidence of a strained relationship, I don't know what is.
If that isn't evidence of a strained relationship, I don't know what is.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
I don't remember what vague clues were given to the press exactly, but it was intimated that they split because Sarah wanted to focus on other things and Robin wanted her 110% committed to skating. At any rate, Sarah moved far away and Robin didn't follow.
I don't remember the name of Emily's coach as it's not a big name. It's was definately never Robin though, if that's what you're asking.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2003
Wow, I'm coming late to this thread, but this is interesting news about a possible return to skating for Sarah.
I'm quite surprised by this. When I read last year that Sarah and Robin were not really speaking (except via voice mail!), I took that as a sign that Sarah was probably finished with competitive skating. Because, in my mind, why would you alienate/drop your coach if you had any thoughts of skating again? So, I'm surprised that she's now considering coming back.
I think it's hard to predict what will happen if she does come back. Certainly, at this point, she's not in competitive shape. She *may* be able to get back into shape if she works hard. But I'm not sure. Some skaters, like Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, are able to stay in shape after turning pro, growing up, or even having babies. But other skaters have more trouble. I mean, look at Oksana Baiul or Katarina Witt. Both of them developed/gained quite a bit of weight after their OGMs, and neither have ever gotten back to the shape they were in when they won. So it's hard to know what will happen with Sarah. As I've said before, I don't think she naturally has a lean, trim body type. I wish her the best, but I think she's going to have to work hard.
Even assuming she gets back in shape, I think she's facing a tough road if she returns to eligible skating. The competition has gotten even tougher, and as others have pointed out, CoP may not necessarily favor her. She was always known mostly for her 3/3s, but now the Japanese ladies have mastered the 3/3s too. Plus, they're doing much harder 3/3s than Sarah did.
You have to add to this the fact that Sarah will probably never again be as motivated as she was before SLC. She has already won the sport's biggest prize and become rich and famous. Put that next to skaters who have been training their whole lives and still not gotten that brass ring. In all likelihood, they are going to be more motivated than Sarah.
I also agree with others that if Sarah really wants an Ivy League education, it's probably not a good idea to walk away now. Look at Michelle--she did one year at UCLA and never went back full-time. Once you're out of college, it's not easy to get back into the grind of studying and going to classes. If Sarah really wants an Ivy League degree, my feeling is she should stay at Yale.
Despite all the doubts, though, it would definitely be interesting to have her back in the sport. So if she decides to do it, I wish her well. No matter what you think of her as a skater, she is obviously a determined, smart girl, and if she decides to come back, I'm sure she'll give it her all.
I'm quite surprised by this. When I read last year that Sarah and Robin were not really speaking (except via voice mail!), I took that as a sign that Sarah was probably finished with competitive skating. Because, in my mind, why would you alienate/drop your coach if you had any thoughts of skating again? So, I'm surprised that she's now considering coming back.
I think it's hard to predict what will happen if she does come back. Certainly, at this point, she's not in competitive shape. She *may* be able to get back into shape if she works hard. But I'm not sure. Some skaters, like Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, are able to stay in shape after turning pro, growing up, or even having babies. But other skaters have more trouble. I mean, look at Oksana Baiul or Katarina Witt. Both of them developed/gained quite a bit of weight after their OGMs, and neither have ever gotten back to the shape they were in when they won. So it's hard to know what will happen with Sarah. As I've said before, I don't think she naturally has a lean, trim body type. I wish her the best, but I think she's going to have to work hard.
Even assuming she gets back in shape, I think she's facing a tough road if she returns to eligible skating. The competition has gotten even tougher, and as others have pointed out, CoP may not necessarily favor her. She was always known mostly for her 3/3s, but now the Japanese ladies have mastered the 3/3s too. Plus, they're doing much harder 3/3s than Sarah did.
You have to add to this the fact that Sarah will probably never again be as motivated as she was before SLC. She has already won the sport's biggest prize and become rich and famous. Put that next to skaters who have been training their whole lives and still not gotten that brass ring. In all likelihood, they are going to be more motivated than Sarah.
I also agree with others that if Sarah really wants an Ivy League education, it's probably not a good idea to walk away now. Look at Michelle--she did one year at UCLA and never went back full-time. Once you're out of college, it's not easy to get back into the grind of studying and going to classes. If Sarah really wants an Ivy League degree, my feeling is she should stay at Yale.
Despite all the doubts, though, it would definitely be interesting to have her back in the sport. So if she decides to do it, I wish her well. No matter what you think of her as a skater, she is obviously a determined, smart girl, and if she decides to come back, I'm sure she'll give it her all.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
I wonder what her parents make of all this? If it was my kid, I'd be freaking out. 
- school is full of academic challenges and competitions, not to mention college level sports. Does she really need to return to skating to feel challenged? Why not just get Condoliza Rice or someone to get you a summer internship?
- what is her real goal? She didn't seem really all that interested in the fame and traping of the OGM the first time around, and didn't pursue a pro career. What is she going to do this time? Take 2 years off from college, win a second gold medal, and then what? Return to school? The only real thing a second OGM will get her is more $ as a pro. So what, she's gonna take a 3rd year off school to tour, and then what, return as a 23 year old sophmore?
The whole thing is crazy IMHO, probably just a journalist taking a vague comment and making something out of it, and I still feel that the only reason why we're all even discussing it is because it's the off season.
- school is full of academic challenges and competitions, not to mention college level sports. Does she really need to return to skating to feel challenged? Why not just get Condoliza Rice or someone to get you a summer internship?
- what is her real goal? She didn't seem really all that interested in the fame and traping of the OGM the first time around, and didn't pursue a pro career. What is she going to do this time? Take 2 years off from college, win a second gold medal, and then what? Return to school? The only real thing a second OGM will get her is more $ as a pro. So what, she's gonna take a 3rd year off school to tour, and then what, return as a 23 year old sophmore?
The whole thing is crazy IMHO, probably just a journalist taking a vague comment and making something out of it, and I still feel that the only reason why we're all even discussing it is because it's the off season.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Well, you never know what's going to happen.
IF Sarah decides to go back to skating, it'll be tough to continue at Yale. While there aren't alot of class hours, there are hours of reading, research, writing etc. Even taking 1 or 2 classes can create many hours of work - and going part time is not the same experience as being a full time on campus student.
However, I'm glad she at least really took the time to enjoy her freshman year. There's nothing quite like it.
I don't see Sarah re-locating to the west coast. Her family is in LongIsland and they seem very close. Her considering going back to competitive skating really seems linked to the next Winter games in 2 years. She's got a season to get back into shape and compete under COP before deciding if she might be able to make it to Oly's the following season.
Can't wait to see what next year is like under COP for all the skaters
IF Sarah decides to go back to skating, it'll be tough to continue at Yale. While there aren't alot of class hours, there are hours of reading, research, writing etc. Even taking 1 or 2 classes can create many hours of work - and going part time is not the same experience as being a full time on campus student.
However, I'm glad she at least really took the time to enjoy her freshman year. There's nothing quite like it.
I don't see Sarah re-locating to the west coast. Her family is in LongIsland and they seem very close. Her considering going back to competitive skating really seems linked to the next Winter games in 2 years. She's got a season to get back into shape and compete under COP before deciding if she might be able to make it to Oly's the following season.
Can't wait to see what next year is like under COP for all the skaters
Wow BG,
It isn't as if Sarah is planning on dropping out to become a band groupie! I don't think her parents are going to be devastated if Sarah made the choice to take two years off to defend her gold medal. Plus everyone is talking as if she will never go back to school. As far as I am concerned, that's a slap in the face to the many returning adults students who enter college when they are well into their 20's, 30's and beyond. And yes, they have students like that at Ivy League schools, which are the same as other top public and private schools, despite the mystique everyone seems to attach to them. A 23 year old sophomore with two Olympic games under her belt (regardless of whether she medals in the second games) has just as much , if not more to offer than a 19 year old sophomore.
There are a lot of skaters who have taken time off from school and have returned such as Dr. Debbie Thomas and Paul Wylie who toured for a few years and then got his MBA. As for MK not returning full time to UCLA, I think that motivation is the key thing. Everyone is different and not everyone can go to school full time and skate full time. Plus MK is making loads of money and there will always be a demand for her skating. MK will probably be like a Kristi and if she chose to , could have a very long professional career.
Anyway , I think that if Sarah commits to training for another Olympic team, regardless of whether she makes it or not, she will benefit in that decision. Sometimes you pick up rewards along the journey even if you don't reach the final destination.
It isn't as if Sarah is planning on dropping out to become a band groupie! I don't think her parents are going to be devastated if Sarah made the choice to take two years off to defend her gold medal. Plus everyone is talking as if she will never go back to school. As far as I am concerned, that's a slap in the face to the many returning adults students who enter college when they are well into their 20's, 30's and beyond. And yes, they have students like that at Ivy League schools, which are the same as other top public and private schools, despite the mystique everyone seems to attach to them. A 23 year old sophomore with two Olympic games under her belt (regardless of whether she medals in the second games) has just as much , if not more to offer than a 19 year old sophomore.
There are a lot of skaters who have taken time off from school and have returned such as Dr. Debbie Thomas and Paul Wylie who toured for a few years and then got his MBA. As for MK not returning full time to UCLA, I think that motivation is the key thing. Everyone is different and not everyone can go to school full time and skate full time. Plus MK is making loads of money and there will always be a demand for her skating. MK will probably be like a Kristi and if she chose to , could have a very long professional career.
Anyway , I think that if Sarah commits to training for another Olympic team, regardless of whether she makes it or not, she will benefit in that decision. Sometimes you pick up rewards along the journey even if you don't reach the final destination.
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2003
Joesitz said:
Yah, and she can work on another book at the night time...
OK, sarcasm off. Sorry, this is going to be too much to handle, even for Sarah. Making a comeback to competitive skating would consume all her energies, she would have to chose between studying and skating.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
Well, it's about the same thing in my book. So she's gonna do what, spend about $100,000 of her Dad's money to maybe win another gold medal, then only to chuck it all again to be "just Sarah from Long Island"? I'd be "concerned" if it was my kid, that's all I'm saying.
"Many"? If you say so. I don't know what the statistics are on this kind of thing, all I know is that when I went to IV college, there were exactly 0 older student mixed in witht he youngsters. 0.
They took time off between undergrad and grad. Lots of people do that. They do not however take 2 to 3 years off after freshman year.
Look, there are no rules, and everyone has the right to do whatever they want, all I'm saying is that if this was my kid, I'd be like "Have you thought this thing through?" because as it stands now, it has "big mistake" written all over it in big letters IMHO.
Edited to add: one can only take so much time off school before your spot is lost. Paul actually lost his spot at Harvard Law because he deferred too long. When I was in school (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) not only did one need a good reason to take time off, but the time off was limited. 2 years or more, she'd have to apply all over again probably. Unless of coarse celebrity seeking schools like Yale are willing to make exceptions.
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BG:
Not to quibble about age or anything like that, but it's becoming common for older people to get into and attend top schools. There are lots of older students attending law school, business school and medical school (to a lesser extent for med school). Grad school is considerably more demanding than undergrad (Ivy League or otherwise) and there are older people with families who thrive in grad school. You also see older faces in undergraduate schools as well and lots of kids opt to take a year off from school either during their undergraduate education or before they enter college. I don't think Sarah taking 2 years off is that big a deal. She'll always be a smart girl and it's not as if Yale is going anywhere.
If she lost her spot at Yale, I'm pretty sure that with her SAT scores and extracurricular activities, Harvard and Cornell would gladly snap her up. She could also go through the hassle of reapplying (which was what Paul probably needed to do) and get her spot back at Yale.
As for Sarah's family's money: I would think that Sarah is paying her own way through Yale verses her father. If her dad is forking over dough for Sarah to attend Yale, then he didn't do a very good job managing the money that came in from her tours and competitions. Plus Sarah can easily get training funds from pro-am events and so forth. She's an OGM and there are people who like her skating.
Not to quibble about age or anything like that, but it's becoming common for older people to get into and attend top schools. There are lots of older students attending law school, business school and medical school (to a lesser extent for med school). Grad school is considerably more demanding than undergrad (Ivy League or otherwise) and there are older people with families who thrive in grad school. You also see older faces in undergraduate schools as well and lots of kids opt to take a year off from school either during their undergraduate education or before they enter college. I don't think Sarah taking 2 years off is that big a deal. She'll always be a smart girl and it's not as if Yale is going anywhere.
If she lost her spot at Yale, I'm pretty sure that with her SAT scores and extracurricular activities, Harvard and Cornell would gladly snap her up. She could also go through the hassle of reapplying (which was what Paul probably needed to do) and get her spot back at Yale.
As for Sarah's family's money: I would think that Sarah is paying her own way through Yale verses her father. If her dad is forking over dough for Sarah to attend Yale, then he didn't do a very good job managing the money that came in from her tours and competitions. Plus Sarah can easily get training funds from pro-am events and so forth. She's an OGM and there are people who like her skating.
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- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
Just to clarify, I was talking about the estimated $50k per year that elite skaters spend on their sport. Tuition toward a degree one doesn't have is a good investment IMHO. Spending money on a hobby that you don't want to make a career out of, and toward a goal you have already reached, is IMHO, not a wise investment.
Oh well tempest in a pot of tea, but fun off-season ruminations none the less.
Oh well tempest in a pot of tea, but fun off-season ruminations none the less.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
Sometimes I get the impression that winning gold in SLC was more of Robin's goal than Sarah's. I would imagine that taking a risk on an unknown was ok for a teen with a hobby. However, if a famous skater in the limelight is giving up school for the frist time to concentrate on getting back to top form in a very short period, I'm not so sure she can afford that same gamble.
I would imagine that taking a risk on an unknown was ok for a teen with a hobby. However, if a famous skater in the limelight is giving up school for the frist time to concentrate on getting back to top form in a very short period, I'm not so sure she can afford that same gamble.Ah, off season debates... where is Too Hot to Skate when you need it?
I think the 50K Sarah might spend to train for the Olympic games will probably net her at least $300K from appearance fees, pro-ams and touring which is quite a nice return for her aimless hobby. She doesn't even need to make the Olympic or World team to make this kind of money. I also think that even if she didn't get into top level shape, she could still benefit by getting into shape so she could tour.
I think the 50K Sarah might spend to train for the Olympic games will probably net her at least $300K from appearance fees, pro-ams and touring which is quite a nice return for her aimless hobby. She doesn't even need to make the Olympic or World team to make this kind of money. I also think that even if she didn't get into top level shape, she could still benefit by getting into shape so she could tour.
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A few random thoughts here:
I agree with Berthes Ghost that Sarah's wanting to return to competition IS puzzling. In an interview on May 30th, she talked about how burnt-out she was after winning the OGM, and how she never really enjoyed all the attention heaped on her. That ties in with her description of the Sarah who said she enjoyed just being Sarah from LI while she was in college. So why WOULD she want to return? Beats me.
As to Sarah returning in the 2004-2005 season and getting accustomed to CoP, there really isn't any way that she would even get into a competition under CoP, unless she got in shape REAL quick (just about impossible) and skated at Nebelhorn in September (IF Nebelhorn is using CoP this year). It's too late for the 2004-2005 GP, and most of the other B Internationals won't be under CoP. The only way she'd get to experience CoP this coming season would be to finish in the top 6 at Nationals and go to 4CC (which she's declined in the past) or Worlds--a pretty high level to be experiencing CoP for the first time.
Getting back into shape is one thing, but getting back into COMPETITIVE shape is another. Sarah would have to lose the weight and get her jumps back after not training at all for over a year. Even if she drops the excess pounds, she has a completely different body shape, and I think she's going to find that jumps and spins will have a different dynamic from what she experienced before. I think getting back in competitive shape may take her two years or more, which means she'd miss Turin.
If she really wants to get back into competitive skating, I think her best bet would be to bring herself back into shape slowly but surely, and aim for a competitive comeback in the 2006-2007 season. If she trained but didn't compete until then, she could continue in college for two more years. She would be only 21, and she'd have an excellent chance to win a US and World title, and even compete in the 2010 Olympics. if that appealed to her. In 2010, she'd be only 25, the same age as Kwan if she went on to Turin.
I agree with Berthes Ghost that Sarah's wanting to return to competition IS puzzling. In an interview on May 30th, she talked about how burnt-out she was after winning the OGM, and how she never really enjoyed all the attention heaped on her. That ties in with her description of the Sarah who said she enjoyed just being Sarah from LI while she was in college. So why WOULD she want to return? Beats me.
As to Sarah returning in the 2004-2005 season and getting accustomed to CoP, there really isn't any way that she would even get into a competition under CoP, unless she got in shape REAL quick (just about impossible) and skated at Nebelhorn in September (IF Nebelhorn is using CoP this year). It's too late for the 2004-2005 GP, and most of the other B Internationals won't be under CoP. The only way she'd get to experience CoP this coming season would be to finish in the top 6 at Nationals and go to 4CC (which she's declined in the past) or Worlds--a pretty high level to be experiencing CoP for the first time.
Getting back into shape is one thing, but getting back into COMPETITIVE shape is another. Sarah would have to lose the weight and get her jumps back after not training at all for over a year. Even if she drops the excess pounds, she has a completely different body shape, and I think she's going to find that jumps and spins will have a different dynamic from what she experienced before. I think getting back in competitive shape may take her two years or more, which means she'd miss Turin.
If she really wants to get back into competitive skating, I think her best bet would be to bring herself back into shape slowly but surely, and aim for a competitive comeback in the 2006-2007 season. If she trained but didn't compete until then, she could continue in college for two more years. She would be only 21, and she'd have an excellent chance to win a US and World title, and even compete in the 2010 Olympics. if that appealed to her. In 2010, she'd be only 25, the same age as Kwan if she went on to Turin.
gezando said:
Bonni Retzkin is Emily Hughes' coach, and from what I understand, she's pretty much full-time with Emily, who will be competing quite a bit around the U.S. in club competitions this summer (in April they traveled to Finland for a Young International competition and then were in the DC area for a club competition).
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Well, everyone else has an opinion, so here's mine. 
I think that (if she wants to) Sarah should start training again. She could compete in the World University Games to get her feet wet and continue at Yale. She'll probably graduate in 2007. That would give her plenty of time to prepare for 2010. And perhaps she could also do some shows.
I think that (if she wants to) Sarah should start training again. She could compete in the World University Games to get her feet wet and continue at Yale. She'll probably graduate in 2007. That would give her plenty of time to prepare for 2010. And perhaps she could also do some shows.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Good for Sarah! I have missed seeing her skate, but know that she is a good student as well.
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